The Fletcher Lecture Series Committee of Nicholls State University ispleased to announce the First Fletcher Lecture Series Conference,featuring a keynote address by 2006 Fletcher Lecturer Henry Louis Gates,Jr. The conference will be held November 9-11, 2006, on the campus ofNicholls State University, Thibodaux, Louisiana, located in the BayouRegion of South Louisiana (1 hr. from New Orleans or Baton Rouge; 1 1/2hours from Lafayette).

General Subject: "Crossings: Assimilation and Acculturation"

Submission deadline extended to August 15, 2006

Proposal topics may be narrowly focused on any aspect of Henry LouisGates, Jr.'s career and accomplishments or broadly focused on any aspectof the title concerns: cross-racial/cross-cultural literary encounters,assimilation, acculturation. Potential topics may be cross-disciplinary(particularly in history and sociology) as long as the focus remainshumanistic rather than technical. Sample topics areas include: